Review of Corner Bakery Cafe in Geneva Illinois

Just about every community has a "go to" restaurant that specializes in soups, salads, and bread. The Chicago vicinity has several of these niche restaurants that go by the names of Panera Bread, Atlanta Bread Company, and the Corner Bakery Café. I have visited numerous Corner Bakery Cafes throughout the suburbs and will occasionally visit this chain store located at 1614 Commons Drive in Geneva, Illinois. The restaurant is within short proximity of my home and serves us well when we crave some tasty bread, soup, and salad items. I typically visit this location two to three times a year and decided a critique was well overdue.

Store and Service

This particular Corner Bakery is situated on the outer row of Geneva Commons stores positioned on the edge bordering Randall Road. Access to this restaurant is only accomplished through turning into the actual mall drive known as Commons Drive.

There is ample seating and room at this particular Corner Bakery location. Lines can get occasionally lengthy during dinner hours as people take their time perusing the overhead menu board with occasionally only one register open. The cashiers are generally quite friendly and appear helpful to answer any questions about the menu. Once the order is completed, the server provides the customer with a number on a plastic card that is brought to the table and inserted on a stand. The "rover" will identify the number and bring out the food usually within five minutes of the order being placed. Overall the process is pretty quick and allows parents to get kids situated and drinks filled at the beverage counter.

The tables are typically clean and well maintained. I have never had issues with cleanliness at this location nor has our family experienced a filthy highchair which seems be the norm at many restaurants.

I find it interesting that there are no waste receptacles located within the seating area so the table cleaning is at the mercy of the rover coming over to bus your table after you have finished the meal. Table clearing can take quite a long time as the staff is usually quite hesitant to approach your table until after you have left. This policy seems pretty annoying when everyone wants to stick around for some coffee, dessert, and conversation.

The Food

The menu at Corner Bakery Café is actually quite delicious. The good flavors and texture of the food all start with their breads whether it is a Panini, bagel, or side of some sour dough bread with a large bowl of soup. The aroma of this breads and pastry greets the customer immediately upon entering this store which makes deciding what to order a very difficult decision.

Aside from Panini and deli sandwiches, the menu does have numerous "diet friendly" items that include numerous daily and seasonal soups and an assortment of salad combinations. The Corner Bakery salad menu even provides a salad trio option which is great for those that have a tough time deciding on salad options.

Despite sticking to a strict diet plan of salad or soup, no meal at Corner Bakery Café is complete without indulging on one of the delectable desserts such as brownie, raspberry square, or slice of streusel cake. The desserts are always moist and taste incredible.

Price

Aside from great food and friendly service, the cost of a trip to Corner Bakery can be somewhat painful considering the fare consists of sandwiches, soup, and brownies. I will bring my family of five to this store about three times a year and will never have a dinner bill lower than forty dollars. The restaurant does boast kid's meals, but the adult meals and desserts can be quite pricey. A fountain drink alone is almost $2.00.

Parking

When dining out on a Friday or Saturday night at Corner Bakery Café, consider spending a bit of time roaming the lot looking for a nearby parking spot. One of the biggest flaws of the Geneva Commons retail location is lack of parking stalls for all these businesses. If one can find a place to park within a hundred yards of the store, he or she should consider it luck.

For those that have never been to Corner Bakery Café at the Geneva Commons, I would recommend at least one visit. The food is delicious and the taste of the black current iced tea and desserts make the meal even more enjoyable. Have patience with the parking, potentially long lines, and bring plenty of dough.